Chapter 10: Freya, do you like Green?

Godfather has been injured.

For a moment, Alice felt as if the world was collapsing.

Everything—the bright moon hanging high in the deep night, the faint fragrance in the air, the swaying banyan tree—all of it ceased to matter.

Alice could no longer hear any sound.

Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Godfather…

She clutched Green’s burning hot body tightly, muttering incomprehensible words that instinctively sent chills down the spine.

“Kill you, kill you, kill you.” Alice’s eyes brimmed with murderous intent, her beautiful irises now blood-red, as if she wanted to dye the entire world in blood to mourn Green’s injury.

“Cough, cough!”

Julia, Senior Investigator of the Inquisition and a level 60 Paladin, could hardly believe what she was seeing.

She certainly knew Alice; during missions, Green often boasted about his disciple.

But Julia never expected this so-called “genius” to be such a prodigy?!

Yes, Alice was truly gifted—her reputation had even reached the high-ranking figures in the City of Holy Light.

But genius is genius, strength is strength.

Though geniuses could become strong, the two were not equivalent—after all, Alice was just a newly certified Paladin with no combat experience.

No matter how high her theoretical power, how could she possibly defeat Green, and be beaten to the point of complete helplessness in mere moments?

Yet the harsh truth was right before Julia’s eyes, like a cruel joke from the God of Light.

Even worse, the girl who had just witnessed her godfather grievously wounded, fighting for his life, had already taken Julia as the root cause of everything.

“Huff…” Since joining the Inquisition, Julia had walked the edge of life and death more times than she could count.

The terror of mortality, which would shake any ordinary person to their core, was routine for her.

But she had to admit, facing Alice now, she felt a primal, soul-deep shudder.

That girl was too dangerous!

Suddenly, Julia recalled the strange words of an old man just before he died during the purge of the Withered Cultist.

At the time, she dismissed it as crude provocation.

But now, seeing the terrifying energy emanating ceaselessly from Alice—something that seemed to come from a higher dimension beyond this world…

Julia began to doubt the truth.

“Come to think of it, the reason Lord Green has stayed stationed in Fertile City instead of returning to the capital seems connected to the Withered Cultist’s Sacrificial Summoning Ritual back then?”

The Holy Mother, the Divine Child…

Julia couldn’t help but suspect her once-trusted superior, and… his disciple who hailed from the slums.

“Godfather, Godfather…” Alice completely ignored Julia, who was rising again from the smoky haze, focusing solely on the pale-faced Green.

She gently tore away the tattered armor, revealing his well-proportioned figure.

“Godfather, I will definitely heal you.” Alice extended both hands and pressed them firmly over the spot where Green’s heart no longer beat.

“Heal!”

A surge of radiant light burst forth from Alice’s fragile frame, illuminating the entire night like day in an instant.

“Holy Light?!” As a Paladin, Julia was intimately familiar with that energy’s origin.

But how was this possible?!

Unlike other classes,

the Paladin’s specialty lay in their use of the Holy Light.

It was a gift bestowed by the God of Light,

a great Creator who gave mortals a single beacon to light their fate’s river and find a path forward.

Only those blessed by the God of Light could wield such power.

“Huff.”

Julia exhaled, ashamed as she lowered her head.

“Seems I was mistaken earlier. Damn it, those cultists really are terrifying; just a few words, and they shook my faith in my superior.”

Feeling guilty, she stepped closer to Alice.

“Get lost.”

Without looking up from channeling Holy Light to purge the harm inside Godfather, Alice glared mercilessly at the investigator who had put Green in danger.

“I—I am truly sorry.”

Swish, swish, swish.

Bathed in endless Holy Light, Green’s wounds rapidly healed.

However, even though the flesh torn by the cultist’s explosion was perfectly restored, Green still had not awakened.

“Curse of the Soul.”

Julia, experienced and sharp, immediately sensed the problem.

“Huff, Alice, don’t worry.

With your Holy Light, if you infuse it into Lord Green’s soul and guide the Holy Light within him, you’ll surely be able to heal him easily.”

At this moment, a heavy weight lifted from Julia’s heart.

With Alice’s overwhelming and mysterious Holy Light, healing a Paladin should be simple.

Among practitioners, there was a saying: “Give a Paladin enough Holy Light, and they become invincible.”

Perhaps an exaggeration, but it clearly reflected the Paladin’s uniqueness.

“…” Alice still showed no friendliness toward Julia but silently followed her advice, beginning to pour Holy Light into Green’s soul.

“Godfather, please wake up soon…”

Buzzing!

Endless streams of Holy Light flowed into Green’s soul.

Huh?

Julia had been confident, but when she saw no resonance from the Holy Light merging with Green’s soul, she froze.

What, what’s happening?

“Miss Julia?” Alice frowned, restraining her anger as she coldly questioned, “I’ve already injected Holy Light into Godfather’s soul; why is there no effect?”

Julia didn’t answer.

Not because she didn’t know, quite the opposite—she knew the answer very well, which only made her more stunned.

The reason the Holy Light caused no resonance was simple—there was no Holy Light deep within Green’s soul.

Not a trace.

But…

“This makes no sense.” Julia widened her eyes in disbelief.

“Lord Green is the Paladin Commander, officially anointed by the Church. How could his soul be devoid of any Holy Light protection?”

Unless… Julia considered one possibility.

“Lord Green has forsaken his vows and fallen into evil…” she whispered the only possible explanation.

Clang—

A sharp sword flashed from Alice’s hand, pressing against Julia’s slender neck.

“If you dare tell anyone about today’s events, hehe…”

Alice seemed to realize something and immediately threatened the Paladin with force.

Gulp.

Julia’s face showed confusion; she wasn’t afraid of threats, but…

Could someone explain why Alice’s Holy Light blessing hadn’t diminished at all despite her committing such an act of rebellion?

“Ugh…” As the two remained at an impasse, Green, lying on the grassy slope, let out a faint groan.

“Godfather!” Alice rushed over, pressing close to him, feeling the lingering chill within his body.

“I, I’m…”

Green blinked in confusion, looking between Alice and Julia.

Faced with two beautiful women’s gazes, he calmly propped himself up.

“I remember now, Julia.” Green asked, “How did the mission go? Any casualties?”

Casualties… at a time like this, and the Godfather was still concerned about others?

And why—why had his Holy Light protection suddenly disappeared?

Though Alice’s expression was calm, her heart raced in panic.

“Report, sir.” Julia quickly composed herself, demonstrating the professionalism expected of an Inquisition investigator.

Secretly observing the changes in Green’s condition, she casually replied, “Thanks to your quick reaction, we suffered no casualties.”

“That’s good.” Green patted his chest.

“Remember, Julia, we must immediately continue the investigation. We can’t give the Withered Cultist even a moment’s respite!”

Hearing Green’s rousing declaration, Julia’s mind was filled with more confusion.

But she nodded firmly.

“Understood!”

Crow Town, Life Tavern.

“By the way, where’s Green?” A stunning figure complained lazily, “Ugh, I’m so thirsty, and my back aches—come give me a massage…”

“Uh, Freya?” Another girl nearby glanced sideways, her eyes flickering.

“Did you forget? Your Green has already been kicked out of the Adventurer’s Guild!”

“Uh, well, that’s his own fault…” The blushing girl muttered.

“Lucy, you don’t know, but Green’s secretly been in love with me this whole time.

So, I bet he’ll be begging at the tavern’s door bright and early tomorrow to let him back in the guild…”

“Hmm…” As Lucy struggled to respond to Freya’s “deduction,” a third girl clad in a priestess robe, silent until now, suddenly spoke.

“Freya, do you like Green?”

The priestess’s voice was ethereal, as if casually asking.

“Pfft… Haha, Holy Maiden, what kind of joke is that? Who would like that face? Not even other adventurers trust him! Hahaha!”

Freya laughed three times, disdain fully replying.

What kind of deity is that?

Alice rolled her eyes.

Though this Green was not that Green, she still felt compelled to defend the unfamiliar stranger.

Maybe it was because his caring nature reminded her of happier times.

But still…

“Godfather, where exactly are you?”

Staring at the somewhat worn Pocket Watch in her hand, Alice fell silent.

“Forget it; tomorrow’s the Hero Squad Selection, and our Starmoon Mercenary Group will definitely come out on top!”

Oh, that ill-tempered young lady must be the famous Valkyrie?

And that seemingly peacemaker but secretly scheming green-tea girl must be the genius mage Lucy?

Interesting.

The last hope of humanity, Hero Alice, looked at the girl at the next table with a teasing glint in her eyes.